From green roofs to living walls

California Academy of Sciences green roof designer plans to create a living structure.

The creative genius behind the award-winning California Academy of Sciences living roof is Rana Creek, an ecological design firm located in Carmel Valley, California. The company is now preparing for an upcoming project (pending permit approval) that will feature “living walls.”

Julie Sloane wrote an article on the project, which appears today on CNNMoney.com. Sloane describes the living walls as “plants growing out of the spaces between floors on the building’s glass exterior. Vines will snake around vertical and horizontal trellises on three sides of the building.” Source: CNNMoney.com

Of course the project, at 110 Embarcadero in San Francisco, Calif., will feature a living roof as well. Between the roof and the walls, it is estimated that the vegetation will absorb 70 percent of the rainwater allowing for a 66 percent reduction in water use.

If the project is approved, it will be the first purpose-built living wall structure in the United States.